Page 1 of 1 With its fleet of silver diesel cars in Geneva, Mercedes-Benz showed the direction that developments will be heading in the future. This claim to spearheading developments is highlighted by the uniform paint job for the show cars, which also points the way to the future. The paint covers the body panels like a metallic skin, emphasizes the design lines more strongly than any previous paint job and makes them more lively by means of targeted light reflections. The paint's remarkable sparkle and brilliance is the result of a newly developed process that was used for the first time by Mercedes-Benz. While the pigments in a conventional metallic paint measure between 100 and 300 nanometres in size, those in the new ALU-BEAM paint are even much smaller (30 to 50 nanometres). In addition, the pigments are specially worked so that they are more uniformly spread within the paint's surface. As a result, light is reflected with even greater brilliance and the paint's sheen is substantially enhanced.
The seven diesel show cars also demonstrated the current engines' extremely wide range of possible applications. In line with their high technical demands, the Mercedes engineers have made the engines so exceedingly clean and powerful, and at the same time smooth-running, that they can be easily used with all vehicle body types. The direction in which the engineers at Mercedes-Benz are taking compression ignition engines is being shown in Geneva by the two diesel-powered roadsters that boast record performance figures. A new V8 engine generates 315 hp in the Vision SL 400 CDI and provides the eight-cylinder's crankshaft with an outstanding torque of 730 Nm. The SLK 320 CDI tri-Turbo, meanwhile, can generate an impressive 286 hp and 630 Nm of torque from three litres of displacement (70.3 kW and 211 Nm per litre of displacement).
The new drive in the Vision SL 400 CDI also belongs to Mercedes-Benz' third generation of CDI engines. To create this system, the engineers took the familiar four-litre V8 diesel and enhanced many of its components while also adding state-of-the-art piezo injectors, new Turbochargers and an optimised water/charge-air cooling system. Taken together, all of these measures allow the engine to bring forth its power and torque in an even more harmonious fashion. The SL 400 CDI accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds. As such, this diesel sports car justifiably bears the legendary letters SL. Page 1 of 1
Ultimatecarpage.com
> Cars by brand
> Germany
> Mercedes-Benz
Vision SL 400 CDI
With its fleet of silver diesel cars in Geneva, Mercedes-Benz showed the direction that developments will be heading in the future. This claim to spearheading developments is highlighted by the uniform paint job for the show cars, which also points the way to the future. The paint covers the body panels like a metallic skin, emphasizes the design lines more strongly than any previous paint job and makes them more lively by means of targeted light reflections. The paint's remarkable sparkle and brilliance is the result of a newly developed process that was used for the first time by Mercedes-Benz. While the pigments in a conventional metallic paint measure between 100 and 300 nanometres in size, those in the new ALU-BEAM paint are even much smaller (30 to 50 nanometres). In addition, the pigments are specially worked so that they are more uniformly spread within the paint's surface. As a result, light is reflected with even greater brilliance and the paint's sheen is substantially enhanced.